


one, two, three

by theriveroflight



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, Korrasami is Canon, Multi, POV Alternating, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26002714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: Count out loud.
Relationships: Korra/Mako/Asami Sato, Mako & Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	one, two, three

**Author's Note:**

> The best answer to any love triangle, in my opinion, is polyamory - but putting the two girls together is also pretty powerful.
> 
> This is canon compliant with book 4. This is not canon compliant with the comics other than "korrasami spirit world kiss". I only recently picked up the series (I have a couple vague memories of watching ATLA a long time ago, but I never watched LoK until it came out on Netflix). I finished watching, and I kinda started this fic right after. Whoops.

_ one _

Mako hasn't been alone for this long before. Bolin has joined up with Kuvira, Korra is spirits knows where anymore, and Asami…Asami is still in Republic City. They all have a duty. And it's one that he takes seriously. But being alone isn't something that he's familiar with.

He's had Bolin, even when he didn't have anyone else. And his circle has  _ expanded.  _ Being away from them just hurts more. A part of him is gone.

Korra doesn't respond to his letters.

Bolin does, but most of them are idle chit-chat. He's better at that than Mako ever was. His brother is probably wrapped up in something confidential.

And sometimes, he and Asami get to talk. When they're both in Republic City at the same time. They don't take every opportunity; it can be awkward sometimes.

(The two of them spend one meet-up at the gym - no bending, just straight hand-to-hand. They break each other, but rebuild with outstretched hands after falls and in water breaks.)

(They have a few things in common, and one of them is missing Korra.)

(Maybe even in the same manner.)

_ one _

Asami isn't in Republic City  _ all _ the time. She's there most of the time, but not always. She doesn't try to find Korra - she just clings to the letters, hoping dreaming praying that it will ever be enough.

Somewhere in those years she fell in love. Asami doesn't know when, doesn't know how - but she loves Korra, and that isn't anything huge. It just is. Asami knows how to adjust to reality.

Loneliness has been part of Asami's life for a long time. Then suddenly, she wasn't alone. And having to be lonely again is awful. Asami can survive, but she doesn't want to.

They don't overlap much anymore, separated. Her and Mako's paths still intersect from time to time - they drift in and out of each other's lives. They fight and they talk and they run into each other in the city. But in the end they're all on their separate paths.

Asami has to accept it now.

She gave her heart to two, and she has to take it back for herself alone.

_ two _

Mako actually sends a letter to let Asami know when he's going to be in Republic City, asking her to meet him at the gym.

She's there before he is, in something resembling workout gear. He's without his ridiculous charge for once - future Earth King or not, she doesn't care.

(Not that Asami Sato can voice that.)

"No bending, okay? I don't want to be at a disadvantage."

Mako gets into a fighting stance. "I'd never do anything so unfair."

She tosses her hair. "Alright then, Mr. Law & Order."

"I'm a cop, what do you expect?" They start to circle each other. She'll make the first move if she has to, but she thought a firebender would know better than to hesitate.

"I don't know," she answers, and then launches a jab at him. He blocks it and fires a side kick, which she dodges underneath. Asami goes for a hook, but he crouches underneath her and attempts to sweep her legs out from underneath her. She jumps over it, landing just out of the way as he rises back up. They circle each other silently for a bit, before Asami rushes him, pushing him in the chest. He responds by stumbling back and going for a punch. She launches a kick at him. They trade blows for a bit longer, until she spots an opening, catches his next kick, and throws him to the ground.

She turns and offers him a hand. He takes it. "Water?" she offers.

"Sure."

The sparring continues. The two of them are about on even footing with each other, even as their energy simultaneously saps. He’s probably stronger than her, but she has more stamina, so it evens out.

As afternoon bleeds into evening, they realize that it has to end.

"Well, it's been great to see you, Asami."

"Good to see you too," she replies. It feels awkward without them fighting, off-balance somehow.

They're in the past. She should leave it there.

_ two _

Korra has never felt so sure of anything as she is about walking into the Spirit World with Asami. Never.

It's beautiful, and nice to appreciate it now that she isn't looking for anything except her own happiness. There's no expectation, no threat. It's just…a vacation.

"I love you," she breathes as they lay on the grass, looking up at the spirits weaving among the clouds.

"I love you," Korra says again when they're holding hands and walking through a forest.

"I love you too," Asami answers one day, as they stand on the shore of a lake. And Korra…Korra can't resist her. She kisses Asami, and it feels consuming burning not enough  _ never  _ enough.

But she feels almost like there's some sort of secret standing between them.

"Is something wrong? You can talk to me, you know."

"I know." Asami looks away. "But I don't think you'll want to hear what's on my mind."

"I can't help you if you don't talk to me, love."

"I know." She sighs. "I know, babe."

"Okay. When you're ready. I won't push you. I promise."

They're together. They can weather any storm.

The world has balance. She has her balance, at long last. But their relationship won't last if Asami doesn't speak up. Korra wants them to last. She hopes that Asami will talk to her. She wants to know. What exactly is Asami hiding from her? And why is she hiding it in the first place?

_ two _

Mako doesn't mind that Korra and Asami are together now. Really. He's happy for them. They're happy with each other. That's all that he can ask for. Their happiness.

Wu tells him that he needs to move on. But Mako somewhat suspects it's because Wu wants Mako for himself. Which he isn't sure what to think of. He’s been attracted to other men in the past, but he kind of just doesn’t feel the same way.

And,  _ yeah,  _ part of his journey was learning to see both of them as friends first. But that doesn’t mean that he’s completely over it. Moving on is difficult. Especially when it’s from as brilliant of people as Asami and Korra. 

When had it become both of them?

(He thinks, in a way, it had always been both of them.)

But that’s not an option.

They return from the Spirit World. A vacation, they call it, and he knows that it was temporary but something in home is still relieved when they return.

He pulls aside Korra.

"How was your vacation?" he asks. It feels natural to be around her, conversation as easy as breathing.

"Pretty good." But she frowns a bit, which tells him that it really wasn't.

"Is something wrong?"

"Asami and I are…together. I love her. A lot."

"Okay." He practically already knew, he doesn't need to mourn now. He had his chance, game over.

"There's something that she isn't telling me."

Oh. "Why not?"

"She said she thought I wouldn't want to hear it. But I do! I told her that I would give her time, but I'm afraid that we won't have it anymore. Vacation's over, it's back to work."

"You know what happened the last time work was put over people." He's referencing their breakup. And yeah, maybe he is being a little tactless, but they're both supposed to be over it. He tries to laugh. It comes out stilted. Korra looks at him weirdly.

"I don't want that to happen. I love her."*

"Let her come to you when she's ready. You can't force her to talk."

"I know that now." She looks away. "Do you think…?" She trails off, and he isn't quite sure what she would have said.

"It doesn't matter, Korra. Opening up to people is hard. I know Asami could have trouble with that sometimes with me."

"She never did with me." The letters. "But I know what it's like to have trouble opening up."

"I have no doubts about that." He smiles, and places a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck, Korra."

_ three _

Korra doesn't know what to make of what the world's become after their vacation. The city is still clearly adapting to the portal in the middle of it.

"It's been a long time since all three of us were in the same place, just us, right?" She tries to break the ice between the three of them.

"I have a confession to make," Asami declares.

"Does this...have to do with what we discussed before?" Korra asks.

"It does." Asami takes a deep breath.

"Why am I here then?" Mako says. He sounds almost hurt, in some way. "I'll let you have some privacy."

Korra grabs his wrist when he tries to get up. "Asami chose to speak now for a reason. Stay."

"It...does concern both of you," Asami says. "Do you think you can love more than one person?"

"Of course!" she answers. "There are all kinds of different ways to love people."

"You can," Mako says. "That doesn't forgive what I did to both of you."

Korra looks at Asami. "I think both of us have forgiven you, at this point." Asami takes her hand, and she still feels her heart rev up a bit. Even knowing that they get this for a long time, Korra still feels like every day is something new and enjoyable with Asami.

"I know that I shouldn't have. I should have been open with both of you about what happened."

"I'm not going to let that happen again," Asami says, taking his hand. "I love both of you. And I want to be with both of you, if you're willing."

Korra doesn't know what to make of that. "Is that a possibility?"

"I don't want to choose," she answers firmly. "I don't think we should have to."

"I get it," Mako declares, "I think I wanted that before, but I definitely didn't do it right."

"No." Korra shakes her head. "But we're all in a place where we can talk. And that was what we missed. Besides, now it can be all three of us. Not just two and two." She takes his hand, completing the circle. "Did I get it?"

"I love you," Asami says. It's the second time Asami has said it first.

"I love you too," she answers. Because she does, and she doesn't want to refuse an opportunity to say it.

"I-I do too." Mako doesn't hesitate or stutter often. She can only remember one instance. But she doesn't think he's lying this time.

They're together now. And though she could have gone without this, she doesn't want to now.

**Author's Note:**

> I might not do anything like this again, so don't subscribe to me expecting more LoK content, but you never know.


End file.
